4.27.2009

WigWamBam is a store I make sure I visit once in a while to check out new items. This is what I hate about not having enough group slots. I have no slots left to join fav store groups so I either join subscribe-o-matics where I can or make sure I visit to check out myself. WigWamBam is one such store.

And I found this new release. The Paris Sweater Dress.

It's a charming and fun mini dress with Eiffel Tower printed on the front and as you can see, the colour is tricolour too. I love gorgeous and extravagant gowns but on the other hand, I absolutely love these simple casual dresses and this one really made me smile.

So I decided to play with the colours in the dress, especially red, and matched red shoes, red sunglasses and a big red bag which is another colour variation of the olive bag I showed a few days ago.

The sunglasses I am wearing is colour changing and I can change the colour of the frame and lens by simply clicking on it. The red shoes is from Kookie. I fell in love with this cute wedge form and the price was so reasonable! I thought the round shape of these shoes would match the cute look of the mini dress.

Matching red jewelry would be too much. So I matched simple gold hoops from Chloe and also a colour changing bangle from Bax Coen Accesories.

4.25.2009

Not necessarily a brand new release but one that I like very much is this 'Brigitte' from Anubis Style. This is one of the One Soul outfits where Anubis Hartunian of Anubis Style and Mew Denimore of Addoro Fashion are releasing outfits using the same texture, each coming up with their own designs.

The explosion of bright colours and the flexi parts attached to the bottom of the pant suits form the main features of this fun outfit. It comes with a size changing gold belt that can be made bigger or smaller by clicking on the belt, matching earrings and a colourful set of bangles. As you can see in the picture here, the back cut is very daring and low revealing almost the entire back.

The skin I used here is Lion Skins SU Fair #23.

The outfit looks like something from the 60's and I have found this outfit one of the most fun to go dancing in.

4.23.2009

Spring is here and it's time to pull out some spring fashion and send the coats to the dry cleaners, although I have yet to find a dry cleaning service in Second Life.

So today, I am introducing some lovely new releases that are not only reasonably priced but also great adds to anybody's spring wardrobe.

The first one is a tight mini dress from Prism Haute Couture Clothing called "Musique Bandage Dress by Journey." Journey McLaglen, the designer for this brand did such a wonderful job with the colour selection of this mini dress. The form itself is very simple, which allows the lovely colours used to be emphasized and I seriously have no words to praise her for her taste in colours. In spite of the numbers of colours she has used, no one colour stands out and they all blend beautifully into this spring creation. Kudos to the designer also for the great work she has done to match the seams and prim parts. Again, inspite of using so many colours and in horizontal lines, the sides and the lines in the prim part match beautifully and I admire the patience she had to get this right to this high quality level.

The next new release is a preview of the "Glam Tote Bag" from +plus*. Helena Compton had always been one of my favorite designers of accessories ever since I started blogging and she will be coming up with a miriad of colours with a new bag for those people who want that 'spice' added to their fashion to make a difference.

Here, I am holding the olive coloured bag but as always, the quality of her bags and accessories are worth checking out if you haven't yet. Being a graphic designer in RL, Helena's creations are always a great addition that I rely heavily on for my own styling needs and I am happy to introduce this new tote bag she will be releasing very soon.

And last but not least, another of my all time favorites in brands, Petal Meg. The colours in Fuscia Jewell's new release "Hydrangea Tied Lariat" was perfect to add as a piece of jewelry to this spring look. I love to use her flower petal jewelry when I want some colours and also when I don't want to use 'heavy' items such as gems or metal pieces and today's fashion was exactly that.

Fuscia actually uses flower petals covered in resin to create these lovely and sweet creations in real life and she sells the same jewelry in SL as well as RL. I also have some of her real creations in RL and it is not just such a lovely jewelry to own, it is such joy to think that I own the same items as my avatar in SL!! If you are interested, you can buy her RL items in her Petal Meg Website which is where I got mine too. She will ship them to all areas of the globe so this is another thing worth checking out for your RL spring wardrobe as well.

4.18.2009

Sascha's Designs is a store that sells mainly formal gowns that have a very feminine taste. Well, at least, that was the image. But Sascha is changing!

She released a gown with a slightly different image recently called Roxanna and now she even released some casual wear! I will show the casual outfit in another blog post and today I have "Roxanna" which is a cool black gown with a thick leather belt around the waist and a sheer scarf that drapes down the back from both shoulders.

The prim skirt also uses a unique texture that looks almost like feathers that fall straight down from the waist.

A simple but cool gown like this is something I find most interesting to style as there is room to play around with accessories. For example, although I wore the gown in the style that it came with, I can replace the scarf with another scarf that I might have to add a point colour, or even replace it with a rather voluminous necklace in which case, I might wear a similar bracelet over the gloves.

But today, I kept the original style and instead, matched it with an interesting hat from Chapeau Tres Mignon that looks like a net ball hat that covers the entire front of the head and face. It looks like I have a net over my face, which is a classic and elegant favorite without making the entire 'look' look too classic.

To keep the relatively simple and lean look of the gown, I wore simple pumps but one with a good quality look from Styles of edo.

4.16.2009

OK, I'm back to posting my looks and introducing great fashion in SL. Phew.....so glad to be moving on. I have to admit, I just could not bring myself to write and post about fashion for a long time, but I'm ready to go back to normal. So here I go. :-)

My first post back is a sweet casual style from a small Japanese store called "anuenue." It's not a large store but one full of sweet outfits with very good quality. And Marea Kirax, the anuenue designer creates outfits that have a world of its own.

This set of outfits was shown in a fashion show I did with the AGATA Model Agency in Japan recently and it was worn by another model. But I fell in love with it and ended up going to the store myself and buying the same outfit set for myself.

The top is called 'Many Dots Parka' that is worn together with 'Loose Half Pants' both from "anuenue." Each outfit comes in four colour variations so you can match other colours too. The top looks like a patchwork of different material that has different colours and polka dots but when used together, it forms an amazing harmony of colours that result in a very sweet design. The white undershirt comes with this top so there is not undershirts layer and it has a cute hoodie which can be seen in the third pic below.

The bottom is a unique pants that is rolled up on one leg only. It comes with an inner pants that is worn as an underpants layer. I wore this with a hair that comes with a beanie cap from ARGRACE. The beauty of this hair is that you never have to worry about hair prims sticking out from the cap as the cap is preset with the hair. The cap is colour changing by clicking on it so you can choose the colour you want to wear it in after you have worn it as hair.

4.14.2009

I believe we are all pretty sick and tired of this RUNWAY magazine fiasco and personally I wish to put this down as one of the memories I have of Second Life and move on.

In a hope to put an end to this, I am posting MOlly Dench, former Managing Editor of RUNWAY magazine's first, last and only comment she made to her personal blog she made to post this. It was posted as a comment to the previous post but since it was only a link to her blog, I have personally decided to print the whole statement.

And this will be my last post about this unfortunate incident and I will move on, go back to styling and writing about what I enjoy in Second Life.

Those of you who know me well - and there are not many of you, I am extremely private - would know, that I do not get involved in SL drama, and I do not post randomly or without being aware of the facts. I do not bad-mouth anyone (unless they have an ARC of over 5000 at the Hair Fair) and I do not get involved in public comment and dramas until I am confident that I know what I'm talking about. I am not a public person and I am not interested in any one's opinion of my morals or motivations.

I was not planning on making any comment at all on the RUNWAY debacle. This too shall pass, I thought, and sad, and messy, and ugly as it has been, it will be over. We will move on, and the talent and creativity of those at RUNWAY will be put to other uses and will live on in other ways.

However, the latest Final Post by Maggie was really too much for me. Enough is enough, and it is time to put This Issue To Bed.

A Final Post is just that. So Maggie, please stop. No more. Leave. Enjoy your RL. Get well. And stop posting. It's over.

The comments relating to Thalia's failure to pass on information, and willy-nilly handing Runway over to BOSL are factually incorrect and must be refuted. I cannot begin to understand why Maggie would email Thalia and post on the blog at the same time, knowing that Thalia is, like myself, in Australia. This means that by the time Thalia even SAW the email and the blog - she does have to sleep, like the rest of us - the IMs, fingerpointing, hysteria and general SL drama was well underway.

However, these I know to be facts:

The minute Thalia saw the email, she cut and pasted it into a notecard inworld, and sent it to everyone that needed to be involved. There was NO withholding of information.

That Thalia, EmmZ and Vera met with Frolic, and that the prime motivator was the assumption - be it incorrect or otherwise - that there were unpaid staff, advertisers out of pocket, and a magazine that was the pride and joy of many.

Their desire to see these obligations met is only to their credit and should not now, or ever, be used as a weapon against them. It speaks volumes that these women decided to try to do the right thing in a mess not of their making. All power to you. Not everyone would behave as well as you tried to do. My respect, ladies.

This sorry train-wreck needs to come to the end of its line right now.

Everything that happened here is because of Maggie's misreading of the situation.

The lack of communication with those who believed in her was unacceptable, and after the amount of time we have all spent in SL, laughable. There is always a drama when something like this happens, this is NOT a surprise result, and as many, many people have said, had there been a real desire to pass RUNWAY on, meetings with trusted associates should have taken place prior to the announcement and a seamless transition could have been effected. Even the sale of the business would have been acceptable. This was poorly handled and the fallout has been people hurt and confused by the events that transpired.

I know, with every fibre of my being - both SL and RL beings, I might add - that EmmZ, Thalia, and Vera especially, acted as they thought best in an horrific, sudden, and overwhelming situation, with IMs and notecards flying and information, good, bad, and ridiculous, pouring in on all sides. It is a deluge, and exhausting when it occurs.

All of these women are known to me personally in RL and I respect and like each one.

So - time to stop. Thalia, EmmZ, Vera, and everyone else associated with RUNWAY, behaved as best they could given the information they had at the time and whether their decisions were right, wrong, or indifferent, were forced upon them by the actions of Maggie and Ocean.

And the rest - can we please say - is now history.

From me, there will be no further comment. Except to say - I loved my time at RUNWAY, and I am proud of what we did. And Thalia, Vera, and EmmZ? Rock on, girls. You behaved impeccably. Thank you for your moral stance, and your belief in people, the magazine, and even Maggie - right through to the bitter end. It makes you better people, not worse.

4.11.2009

I was one of the RUNWAY Magazine staff who got involved in this whole drama that is hitting the SL News about RUNWAY Magazine closing and I had been quiet feeling sick of all the assumptions and gossip.

Here is a statement from Thalia, the Fashion Editor of RUNWAY and one of the staff who had been with the magazine the longest, who decided to post this as all the "facts" surrounding what happened that day. She has asked me to post this on my blog as a personal favour.

Written by Kay Fairey, former staff writer of RUNWAY Magazine.

--------------------------------------------------------

Drama and Divas and the Whole Damn Thing

By Thalia Jie - former Fashion Editor of RUNWAY Magazine

In respect of the demise of RUNWAY magazine, I have no obligation to make any comments, however, I will state that various blog postings made about Frolic Mills and the RUNWAY/BOSL merger are not factual.

The facts are:

On the 8 April 2009, RUNWAY annouced the departure of both CEO's from Second Life in a blog posting. No prior notice was given to staff. [RUNWAY blog]

RUNWAY did not pay its employees or contracted writers for their work last month of work, while reassuring everyone that they would be paid in a matter of days.

RUNWAY owners, Maggie Mahoney and Ocean Bates created the impression, right up to the day that the demolition started on the RUNWAY build, that it was business as usual.

A public statement was issued on their blog that RUNWAY magazine "has been left to the staff if they desire to continue its legacy" however no mention was made of outstanding revenue from existing advertising contracts.

Neither of the RUNWAY CEO's replied to emails or telephone calls.

I personally would like to thank Frolic Mills for agreeing to an invitation to join myself, EmmZ Tzara and Vera Canning in a meeting to discuss these events. Frolic Mills gave his commitment that all RUNWAY staff would be paid and all advertising contracts honored. The result of that meeting was that the transition to BOSL was agreed to and work proceeded on the May issue of RUNWAY magazine. Designers and advertisers were reassured that everything was returning to normal.
One April 9 2009 a further statement was issued on the RUNWAY blog by the departing CEO's of RUNWAY announcing that "RUNWAY will not merge with BOSL" and citing coercion on the part of Frolic Mills.
My decision regarding the BOSL?RUNWAY merger was not made through coercion or manupulation nor was I forced into any actions in a state of "shock." I find that implication personally insulting.
My decision to merge with BOSL was made on the following basis:

Paying RUNWAY employees monies owed.

Paying feelance writers/photographers for RUNWAY projects

Honoring existing RUNWAY contracts with advertisers up to and including the July issue of RUNWAY

Acting decisively and promptly as the news of the CEO's departure had been announced in the public forum

With full knowledge that despite the RUNWAY blog statement that RUNWAY magazine "has been left to the staff if they desire to continue its legacy", a blog statement is not a contract, and it is not a legal transfer of ownership.

Misgivings regarding exactly what "the legacy" of RUNWAY magazine entailed.

On April 9 2009, the the same blog post, CEO Maggie Mahoney stated that she has "decided to retain the branding rights and trademarks [to RUNWAY magazine] and let the magazine officially close".
Please direct all inquiries regarding monies owned by RUNWAY to Maggie Mahoney and Ocean Bates.
I have listed the facts as I understand them, and there will be no further comments.

4.08.2009

When I first wore Phoenix Resurrection, I immediately knew why the designer named it so. It depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes.

It comes with a feathered crown, which, of course you don't have to wear if you cannot find a hair that matches, and also luxurious feathers that cover the back of the gown skirt. If you don't like the feathers, you are given a choice of a more plain skirt without the ornament.

What is so impressive with this gown is the top part. The upper area is full of glitter but in very elegant colours and as you go down, the top becomes very sheer as if it was using the finest of threads for the material. As you know exposing your skin, even with avatars, can sacrifice elegance in outfits making it look less classy. But this is a great way to show that little bit of skin without losing this. I have, of course, seen other outfits that use see through material but I have never seen one so sheer as if it blends into the skin.

The gown looks very slim when viewed from the front but once you see the side or back view, you notice how the gown flows away from your body and looking as if it was trailing behind.

I used a Gabrielle Gem Set in Antique White Pearls from Virtual Impressions. This is a jewelry store that makes such realistic pearls! In fact, when edo Tone wanted antique pearls to sell in his store, Chrissy Ambrose, the creator and designer for Virtual Impressions was who he turned to. So the design may be different but the pearl pieces are the same pearls that edo has in the Style of edo pearl jewelry, which I still think are the best on the grid.

The design that Chrissy came up with, however, is a little more decorative and she has a collection of antique pearls, white pearls, pink pearls and black pearls with the same design. As her prices are always very reasonable and affordable, it would be a great addition to have all four variations, as they look so good with gowns.

My policy as a "blogger"

Kay Fairey- At this point, I thought it might be worthwile, clarifying my policy as a "blogger." Although I would not decline review samples from designers, I maintain a policy of acquiring my own items to blog about. In other words, to purchase myself. This is for two reasons; one, to maintain my neutrality and to be able to blog what I "like" rather than what I was "given" and two, to be fair to the talented designers and creators who spend hours creating the items that give me such pleasure and enjoyment in SL. I would also like to thank the readers of my blog. Without them, my work means nothing.